Serbia’s Djokovic, one of many most interesting males’s tennis gamers of all time, was deported on the eve of final yr’s Grand Slam at Melbourne Park due to his stance on Covid vaccines.

But the 35-year-old will probably be again when he faces Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in his opener and appears more likely to be given a heat reception by the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

He is bidding to win the Australian Open for a record-extending tenth time and in doing so tie defending champion Rafael Nadal’s males’s all-time file of twenty-two Grand Slam crowns.

Djokovic is sizzling favorite for the primary Grand Slam of the yr, however after profitable an Adelaide warm-up match final week, he has been bothered by a slight hamstring damage.

He was pictured practising on Monday with heavy strapping round his left thigh.

“I always like my chances. I train as hard as really anybody out there,” Djokovic mentioned forward of his opener, trying to dispel considerations about his hamstring.

“There’s a lot of youngsters now that are very hungry, that want to win. They want to take a scalp off you on the big stadium. I know that. 

“But expertise of being in these sort of specific circumstances helps I feel to have the correct method and do issues in a correct method.”

Former world primary and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray will try and roll again the years.

The 35-year-old Briton faces Italian thirteenth seed Matteo Berrettini in a tantalising match on day two at Melbourne Park.

Second seed Casper Ruud of Norway, fifth seed Andrey Rublev and twelfth seed Alexander Zverev are additionally in motion.

Russia’s Rublev takes on Dominic Thiem, the 2020 Australian Open finalist.

Also that includes is Denmark’s thrilling teenager Holger Rune, the ninth seed.

There have been no main shocks on the primary day, with Nadal grinding down promising Briton Jack Draper in 4 units to launch the defence of his crown.

Monday’s play started beneath cool overcast skies however the mercury rose through the day and is anticipated to hit a sweltering 36 Celsius (97 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

Women’s fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will open proceedings on the principle Rod Laver Arena towards Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic.

On neighbouring Margaret Court Arena, two-time main champion from Spain Garbine Muguruza, the 2020 Melbourne finalist, will conflict with twenty sixth seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in an intriguing contest.

Tunisia’s Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open final yr, begins her bid for a breakthrough maiden Grand Slam with a take a look at towards Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek.

Other girls’s seeds in motion on Tuesday embody France’s Caroline Garcia and in-form Olympic champion Belinda Bencic from Switzerland, who gained the Adelaide warm-up match three days in the past to get again into the world’s prime 10.

Russian duo Veronika Kudermetova, the ninth seed, and Daria Kasatkina, seeded eight, additionally start their campaigns.

Djokovic will wrap up the day’s play on Rod Laver Arena towards the Seventy fifth-ranked Carballes Baena.

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